A Stitch in Time
by IcedHeat
Summary: A stitch in time saves nine. Or one, in this case. SJ established. Season 10.
1. Chapter 1

Lieutenant Colonel Sam Carter was sitting in the control room, running a diagnostic on the  
gate when it began to dial in.

Beside her, Walter Harriman leaned forwards and pulled the mic to his lips. 'Unscheduled  
offworld activation!'

'Sergeant, do we have an IDC?' General Landry asked from behind Sam.

For her part, Sam found herself staring into the gateroom, a dreadful feeling of foreboding  
building in her stomach. There was only one team offworld: SG-12, accompanied by one  
General Jack O'Neill.

'Its SG-12, sir.'

'Open the iris.'

Sam rose and walked down to the gateroom, willing herself not to run. As the gateroom  
door slid open to admit her, the members of SG-12 came running down the gate, followed  
by Jack O'Neill. As his boots hit the ramp, Jack looked up at Walter and yelled, 'Lock it up!'

The iris slid closed. When it was almost fully closed a jet of red light shot through the gap,  
hitting Jack in the back. Before he hit the ramp, Sam was at his side catching his head in her  
lap.

She was vaguely aware of Harriman calling for a medic, of people swarming around her, but  
her senses didn't seem to be able to register anything but Jack. The way his eyelashes fluttered  
against his cheek as he fought to open his eyes. The way he shuddered when he breathed.

'Stay with me, sir,' she whispered. 'Jack,' she said, her voice insistent, 'you're home. Look at me.'

Jack's eyes fluttered open, staring up at Sam. 'Carter?'

She smiled down at him, aware that there were tears coursing down her cheeks, falling onto  
Jack's vest.

'Colonel Carter, step aside please,' Sam looked up as Dr Lam knelt down beside Jack; someone  
pulled her up and out of the way. She looked around and saw it was Teal'c. Daniel, Vala and Cam  
were just behind him. A tiny part of her mind registered Teal'c's hand on her shoulder; the rest of  
her attention was on the medical team surrounding Jack.

'He's crashing!' Lam yelled, reaching for the crash cart, 'Clear!'

Sam flinched as Jack's body was lifted off the ramp by the shock of the defibrillator.

After shocking Jack three more times, Lam sat back on her heels. 'He's gone. I'm calling it.'

Sam found herself unable to move. Teal'c's hand felt like a lead weight on her shoulder. As the  
orderlies loaded Jack's body onto a stretcher she tried to step forward, murmuring, 'Jack'. Teal'c  
restrained her. She turned and looked up at him, his face was filled with sadness.

She looked at the other members of SG-1. Cam looked shocked, his eyes kept flicking to the place  
where Jack had lain, Vala's face bore a similar expression. Daniel's face was white. He stepped  
towards Sam, his mouth opening to speak.

'I… I have to get to my… I have to go.' She turned, feeling Teal'c's hand fall from her shoulder,  
and rushed from the gateroom.

--

Daniel walked along the corridor towards Sam's lab, his feet heavy, his expression sombre.  
He hadn't seen his friend since Jack's funeral, by all accounts she'd been closeted away in her  
lab for the last two weeks, even though they were all on downtime.

He reached Sam's lab. The door was closed and a sign said, 'Do not enter. Experiments running.'

Daniel shrugged and opened the door anyway. Sam was sitting at her workbench, her  
attention completely focused on the small object on the table in front of her.

'Sam?' Daniel called softly.

'I'm busy, Daniel, can you come back later?'

'General Landry sent me to tell you to go home,' Daniel said.

'I'll just finish this and I'll go home. Close the door on your way out.'

'What is it?' Daniel asked.

'Just something I kept meaning to work on.'

'Sam,' Daniel said, his tone firm.

Finally, she looked up at him. Her skin was pale and her eyes had dark circles under them.  
Her hair was a mess, as though she'd been running her hand through it constantly. 'What is it,  
Daniel?' she asked. He noticed her voice was slightly hoarse through disuse.

'You can't do this to yourself,' Daniel said, wincing inwardly even as the words left his mouth.

'Daniel, I could really do without the platitudes,' Sam said turning back to her work.

'Jack is gone, Sam. He would hate you doing this to yourself.'

When she didn't look up or acknowledge his words in any way, Daniel sighed and turned to  
leave the room. As he reached the door he stopped and said, 'You know where I am, Sam. If  
you need me.'

Sam didn't look up as he left, finding it easier to stare at the small object in her hand. Her  
mind though, had been sent elsewhere by Daniel.

Jack's funeral had been… difficult for her. They'd been seeing each other for over a year and  
she'd known him for a decade, but she hadn't known the majority of the people there.

The SGC memorial had been worse. She'd stood between Cam and Daniel, her eyes on the  
floor, straying occasionally to the representatives of Earth's allies, standing off to one side.  
Thor looked sad, insofar as that was possible.

Currently the speaker was someone from the Pentagon, saying words about Jack that had no  
real relation to the man they knew. She could sense the restlessness of the SGC personnel  
and see it in some of the Allies that had been close to Jack. Bra'tac was looking directly at  
her, an expression of incomprehension on his face.

_Yes,_ she thought, silently agreeing with the old Jaffa_, Jack would have hated this._

Finally the suit from the Pentagon had given his place up to General Hammond. The man  
looked wearier than Sam had ever seen him. His face was drawn, his eyes dull. Somehow  
his _presence_ seemed to be diminished, as though he were not really here.

Hammond spoke about _Jack_, rather than General O'Neill. Sam had felt those around her relax  
listening to Hammond's words. She couldn't allow herself the same. She felt as though, if she  
didn't stand at attention, she would collapse, here on the gateroom floor.

After Hammond came Thor. The members of SG-1 had declined to speak. Daniel had spoken at  
the funeral. Sam hadn't managed it. Preferring instead to sit amid her friends and listen, letting  
the dreadful day wash over her.

After the memorial she'd gone home to the house she'd recently been sharing with Jack,  
whenever he was in the springs. His suitcase was still in the bedroom. She opened it and  
emptied it onto the bed. Sitting there surrounded by his clothes, by his smell, until it was  
dark outside.

She'd gotten up and picked up her work laptop, begun going through old SG-1 reports, telling  
herself she needed to look through them and now was as good a time as any. His name jumping  
out at her, causing pain blended with pleasure at seeing him there, alive in her reports.

She opened a report from five years ago. The mission had been recon, as so many missions were.  
They had found a storeroom of alien technology. She smiled at the memory. She and Daniel had  
been ecstatic, Teal'c had been stoic, and Jack had been bored out of his mind. He'd entertained  
himself by bugging her, making her play I-Spy.

Then suddenly, there it was. Staring out at her across five years. 'I found a small object, somewhat  
like a wristwatch in design.' There had been an inscription on the inside of the wristband. She'd  
shown it to Daniel, who had told her it was a form of Latin, making the watch Ancient technology.  
It said, 'Time'. Daniel had dismissed it as some kind of Ancient wristwatch.

Sam remembered now, that just after she'd submitted this report, that Daniel had come to her lab.  
They'd chatted about various things, and as he'd been about to leave, Daniel had said, 'I looked that  
word up.'

'What word?'

'You know, the one on the watch. Turns out I was wrong.' She'd given him a look, thinking that  
she'd have to resubmit her report, and he went on. 'Oh, it does mean 'time'. But it also could  
mean two other things. One is 'passage' and the other is 'worker'. Its odd, because the actual  
words for those terms aren't all that similar.' He'd turned and left and Sam had gone back to her  
work.

Now, five years later she stared at the report.

She'd requisitioned the item from Area 51, where they'd not worked on it. Now she sat in her lab,  
staring down at the watch. Using knowledge she hadn't had five years ago, she'd examined it  
minutely. It was a travel device. And a watch. There was only one reason she could think of for  
someone to combine a device for travel and for timekeeping. And if there was any race that could  
accomplish such a goal, she was willing to bet it would be the Ancients.

She knew what the device did now. And she knew how she could save Jack.


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel slept fitfully. His dreams were filled with images of Jack, dying on the gateroom  
floor. He was there again, watching Dr Lam working on his friend. Glancing at Sam,  
seeing the almost physical pain she was working hard to suppress.

'Daniel.'

He turned at the quiet voice behind him. A boy stood there.

'Do you recognise me, Daniel?'

As the boy asked the question, Daniel realised he did indeed recognise him. 'Shifu.'

The boy smiled. Then his expression sobered. 'This is wrong. It cannot have happened.  
You must help her.'

'I don't understand.'

'You will.'

Shifu faded and the sound of Dr Lam resuscitating Jack was replaced by a harsh ringing  
sound.

Daniel awoke and flailed his arm in the direction of the sound, picking up his cellphone  
and putting it to his ear.

''lo?' He croaked. He cleared his throat and tried again. 'Hello?'

'Daniel, its Sam. Could you come to my lab, please?'

Daniel looked at his bedside clock. 'Sam, its three in the morning. What are you still  
doing in your lab?'

'This can't wait, Daniel,' she responded.

Daniel sighed. 'Okay.'

--

As Daniel reached the door to Sam's lab he met her coming out of it.

'What's going on, Sam?' He asked as she brushed by him.

'Not here, come with me.'

They moved through the quiet SGC together, stopping at a door and stepping  
inside.

'Uh… Sam? Why are we in Jack's old office?'

'It's the only room not covered by CCTV that's big enough.'

'Big enough for what?'

Sam held up a small object. 'Do you remember this?' Daniel shook his head.  
'Five years ago we found this. You told me it was a watch. It's a time travel device.'

Daniel stared at her, 'Sam… I-' he fished around for something to say. 'What  
about causality?'

Finally, Sam met his eyes. Tears were streaming down her face, but her expression  
was passive, calm even. 'This is wrong, Daniel. It shouldn't have happened. I have to try.'

Her words echoed Shifu's in Daniel's… dream. He stared at her for a long moment.  
Then said, 'Well, causality was always more your thing than mine.'

'You'll help me?' Sam asked, relief in her voice.

'What do you want me to do?'

'I just need you to cover me, say I've gone away to the cabin for a few days.'

Daniel nodded, 'You know how to get back, right?'

She gave him a look.

'Right. So…'

Sam stepped forwards and hugged Daniel, whispering 'Thank you'. Then she  
stepped back and slipped the band onto her wrist. She pressed a button on the edge  
and was gone.

--

Sam looked at her surroundings, and realised she had done something wrong. The office  
looked used. Rarely used, but used nonetheless. Hearing footsteps outside the door, she  
ducked into the en-suite bathroom, taking refuge in the shower cubicle.

A few moments later, Jack entered the bathroom. He splashed water on his face from the  
faucet. Sam caught sight of him in the mirror. He looked exhausted, worn. If he hadn't been,  
he'd probably have noticed there was someone in here with him. The phone in his office rang  
and he went to answer it. Sam listened.

'O'Neill.' His voice was tense and tired. 'The infirmary? I'm on my way. Thank you, sir.' He  
hung up the phone and hurried out of the office, locking the door behind him.

Sam climbed out of the shower cubicle and went back into the office. She searched in vain  
for a calendar then saw a report lying open on the desk. She moved around and read the  
top paragraph.

'We searched the area surrounding the stargate manually and used a UAV to search the  
rest of the planet. There was no sign of Major Carter or the crew of the _Prometheus_.'

At least she knew where she was, or rather, _when_. She should be able to calculate the jump  
properly this time. She made to recalibrate the band on her wrist, but found herself looking  
around the office. Jack's office, which he had claimed he didn't even know the location of when  
he was a colonel, was pretty barren. Both her own and Daniel's lab bore the stamp of their  
respective owner's personalities.

A sudden suspicion came over her. Sam opened the top drawer of the desk. Pens, pencils,  
stapler. Undeterred, she opened the second drawer and hit the jackpot.

Three yo-yos in assorted colours, A Gameboy and a stack of games, a rubber ball and,  
underneath it all, a photograph of SG-1 tucked into the frame of a photograph of Charlie,  
Jack's son.

Suddenly feeling as though she was snooping, Sam closed the drawer and activated the  
watch.

This time, she knew she'd gotten it right. The office was as dusty as the one she'd stood in  
with Daniel.

If she'd managed to get it right, she should be there on the day Jack was due to ship out with  
SG-12, four hours before he was due to embark. Which would make it two in the afternoon  
now. She moved over to the door and listened to the corridor outside. It was quiet. She opened  
the door and slipped into the corridor. Heading for the safety of her lab.

She wasn't due back with SG-1 for approximately another three hours, so the lab should be  
empty. If she kept her head down, she ought to be able to avoid being recognised by the  
guards watching the CCTV. She'd just disconnect it in her lab, as she sometimes did when  
she was running sensitive experiments.

When she finally reached the safety of her lab she sat down heavily at the workbench. She  
hadn't been so tired in a long time, and the desire to wander the base looking for Jack was  
almost overwhelming. But she knew she couldn't. Someone other than Jack would see her  
and it had been difficult enough to get here.

No, best to stick to the plan. She knew where he'd be at half past five. She'd find him then.  
She heard voices outside the door. She concealed herself between two of the larger computer  
banks on the wall.

'Shouldn't you be getting ready for your mission, sir?'

Hearing her own words shocked her. She looked up at the clock on the wall. She'd recalibrated  
the watch wrong again. Jack had met her outside her lab twenty-five minutes before he was  
due to disembark.

'Just wanted to see how you were doin', say 'so long', that kinda thing,' Jack said, his voice  
nonchalant.

Sam knew she was looking at him sceptically.

'What?' he asked, defensively.

'Go get ready,' there was the slightest of pauses before she added the, 'sir.' She remembered  
Jack smirking at her. 'I'll see you later.'

He'd turned and walked off, throwing over his shoulder, 'Yes, Carter, you will. And I don't  
wanna see you on base when I get back!'

She'd smiled, then remembered that she'd left one of her reports in the briefing room and  
gone back to get it.

Panicking slightly, Sam climbed out of her hiding place and hurried down the corridor towards  
the men's locker room. Jack wouldn't be there for another fifteen minutes, she knew. Daniel,  
Cam and Teal'c had been in there changing into their street clothes and had passed him on  
his way in.

She reached the locker room, only to hear the voices of SG-12 inside. Fearing she would be seen,  
she slipped into an alcove in the corridor.

Five minutes later, the members of SG-12 exited, she darted forwards and pushed the door open.  
The room was empty. Hearing voices in the corridor, Sam stepped into a shower cubicle and locked  
the door.

She heard the door open and Daniel, Teal'c and Cam entered, discussing the briefing they'd just  
been in. They changed into their street clothes quickly.

Cam said, 'Lets go grab dinner, I'm buying.'

Daniel demurred, saying he had work to do.

'Come on, Jackson, all work and no play…'

Daniel said, 'Uhm… okay… sure. But, please, no more clichés.'

'Great, lets go pick up Carter.'

As they left the locker room, Sam heard Daniel say, 'So, did I hear you say you were paying?'

Sam knew they were headed for her lab, where she'd tell them she had too much work to do,  
and wouldn't be joining them for dinner. The truth was that she hadn't been doing anything  
that couldn't wait, but she's wanted to wait for Jack, knowing he'd be back at 1am. He'd be mad  
at her for waiting, but secretly pleased to see her. It was a game they played on the rare  
occasions he went through the gate these days.

The locker room door opened, admitting one person. Sam knew without looking that it was Jack.  
He was humming. She took a deep breath and stepped out of her hiding place.

Hearing something, Jack turned, alarmed. 'Carter!' her name was torn from him in surprise.  
He _had_ just seen her several floors away, after all.

'Jack, don't freak out,'

'Why would I freak out?' He said, changing gears remarkably well for someone wearing only  
one sock and boxer shorts.

'Something bad's going to happen on this mission. Please don't go.'

'What?' Jack asked, staring at her. He noticed Sam was trembling slightly, staring at him in a  
way that was too intense for someone he'd woken up next to only this morning. He crossed  
to her side and put a hand on her arm. 'What's wrong, Sam?'

She looked down at his hand on her arm, suddenly realising after the weeks of struggle to  
get here just how much she'd missed him. His presence, his voice, his touch – everything.  
She swallowed hard.

He looked confused, staring at her helplessly as her eyes filled with tears. Up close he could  
see that small details were wrong. Her hair was a mess, dull and unwashed. She looked as  
though she were about to pass out from exhaustion. When he'd seen her a few minutes ago  
she'd looked – buoyant. She'd sent him to get ready, admonishing him for contriving to see  
her when he was only going on a diplomatic mission.

She was crying in earnest now. Without thinking, Jack pulled her into his arms. This made  
Sam sob harder, drawing in great breaths of him, her fingers digging into his chest, trying to  
bring him even closer.

After a few moments, he backed away. His expression questioning.

'I'm from the future. Two weeks into the future,' she said. He raised an eyebrow – Teal'c-like – as  
she'd known he would, at this declaration. 'Really, Jack. Look,' she held up a wrist.

Before she could explain where she'd gotten it from, Jack said, 'The Ancient watch thing.'

She stared at him, momentarily taken aback that he would readily remember what neither  
she nor Daniel had. Then she went on, 'Yes, but it isn't just a watch-'

'It's a time travel device?' Jack finished for her, his expression incredulous.

She nodded. 'You can't go on this mission, Jack, its-'

Jack held up a hand, 'Ah ah ah! No. You can't do this, Sam.'

She stared at him. 'Jack-'

'No, Sam,' he said firmly. 'You can't tell me anything about what's gonna happen. You know  
that. You're the one that's always tellin' _me_ that.'

He stood and walked back to his locker, pulling his uniform out and putting it on. As he  
zipped up his ALICE vest, Sam asked, 'What are you doing, Jack?'

'I have to be in the gateroom in three minutes,' he said, not looking at her.

She stood and walked over to him, forcing him to look at her. 'You can't go.'

'I have to, Sam,' he looked at her, his head on one side, 'I've never known you to compromise  
your principles. Not for me, not for anyone. I can't let you start now.'

'Jack, please,' she said, her voice thick with emotion.

He shut his eyes, breathing deeply. Then he pulled her to him, kissing her fiercely, his fingers  
digging into her biceps. Just as quickly he was gone, the locker room door closing behind him.

Sam sat down heavily on the bench, staring at the door. After taking several moments to  
collect herself she rose and made her way back to Jack's disused office to wait.

--

Lieutenant Colonel Sam Carter was sitting in the control room, running a diagnostic on the  
gate when it began to dial in.

Beside her, Walter Harriman leaned forwards and pulled the mic to his lips. 'Unscheduled offworld  
activation!'

'Sergeant, do we have an IDC?' General Landry asked from behind Sam.

'Its SG-12, sir.'

'Open the iris.'

Sam rose and walked down to the gateroom, willing herself not to run. SG-12 came running  
down the gate, followed by Jack O'Neill. As his boots hit the ramp, Jack looked up at Walter  
and yelled, 'Lock it up!'

He looked at Sam, and it seemed to her that he was looking at her _too _intensely.

As the iris was almost fully closed, a jet of red light shot through the gap. Sam gasped, but  
Jack was on the floor the light hit the wall, taking a considerable chunk of concrete out.

Sam rushed forward crouching by Jack, inexplicably afraid to touch him. She was dimly aware  
of Harriman's voice, 'Wormhole disengaged'.

Jack rolled over onto his back, grinning up at Sam. 'God I miss goin' offworld!'


	3. Epilogue

Jack lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. He never usually had trouble sleeping  
these days, not when he was home. Home. He looked around Sam's bedroom,  
seeing his things scattered amongst her own. His apartment in Washington and  
the cabin were the same.

He rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his arm, looking down at Sam's  
sleeping figure. He'd been debating for the last week about whether or not to tell her  
about his strange… visitation. He knew for sure he wouldn't have been as on edge  
as he was. He would have died in the gateroom. He didn't want her to have to think  
about that.

He just wasn't sure what would happen if he didn't tell her.

Making a decision, Jack reached over and shook her gently. 'Sam.'

She murmured something and rolled onto her side, snuggling back against him.

At any other time, Jack would have been in enthusiastic agreement with her sentiments,  
but not right now. _Maybe afterwards_, he thought, shaking her more forcefully.

'Jack?' She rolled over and looked at him with sleepy eyes, surprised he was so awake.  
'Don't you have a flight in,' she glanced over her shoulder and saw it was one AM,  
'three hours?'

'Three and a half,' he said. 'There's something I need to tell you before I go.'

'What is it?'

'You remember last week, when I went through the gate with SG-12?' She nodded.  
'Something… weird happened while I was in the locker room.' He realised she was  
sending him a look that was half worried, half amused. 'Nothin' like that!'

'Like what?' she said, not bothering to conceal her amusement now.

'Like what you're thinkin'!' He said. He sighed and rolled over, fishing something out of  
the pocket of his jeans. 'Do you remember this?' He held the object out and she took it,  
examining it.

'Jack, this is Ancient technology.'

'Yeah, I took it out of 51.'

'Are you allowed to do that?' She asked, her attention caught up in the bracelet.

'Look who you're asking,' he said dryly. 'Let me explain.'

He told her what had happened. She listened, somehow managing to keep quiet  
throughout the explanation.

'So I need you to figure out how it works,' he finished.

She looked up at him, the bracelet dangling loosely in her hand. 'What about everything  
you said to… me? About causality and everything? You still acted differently because of  
what she - _I _- said.'

Jack ran a hand over his face. 'I know and its been bugging me ever since. I mean – I'm  
supposed to be dead. But then I figured: we're here now. What do we care about that  
other two weeks that technically didn't happen?' When she still looked skeptical he said,  
'Plus, you did it. It's done. So, don't you have to do it again, to make sure it sticks?'

'Follow it through, you mean?' she said.

'I know this is a lot to think about,' he said, 'it was way too complicated for me. So I'll leave  
it to you.'

'We don't even know what will happen if I don't go back this time,' she said thoughtfully,  
'There's every possibility nothing will change. Or-'

'Or I could disappear.'

She opened her mouth and shut it again, not knowing what to say.

Then he said, 'Think about it. I'm not telling you to do it, I'm not even askin'. I just…  
thought you should know. You're better at this stuff than me.'

Seemingly relieved of his burden, he reached over and took the bracelet from her,  
putting it on the nightstand. Then he pulled her to him, kissing her.

'Jack,' she said between kisses. 'Don't you think we should talk about this some more?'

'I'm done talking about it,' he said, pulling her across his body until she was lying on  
top of him.

'So you're just gonna dump it on me and forget about it?' She demanded, trying for anger  
as he nuzzled her neck.

'Not forget,' he said, looking at her seriously. 'Sam, one way or another, I have a flight in  
the morning, and I'm not gonna see you for another month,' he paused, 'maybe longer.  
I just want to make sure I see as much as possible before I go.'

She smiled at that. 'Fine. Carry on, airman.'

'Yes, ma'am.'

--

As the front door closed behind Jack, Sam awoke. She rolled over and picked up the  
bracelet from the nightstand, turning it over and over in her hands.

She couldn't imagine him not being here. Actually, she could. All too well. The vision of  
him lying dead on the gateroom floor had haunted her for too long. She couldn't take the  
chance that something she did – or didn't do – could make that happen.

She had to go back and warn him. It was only a warning. And like Jack said, she'd done it  
before. And lying here, thinking about it, she couldn't imagine that there would ever be  
an instance when she wouldn't do it.


End file.
